Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, announced on Saturday that her event at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival had sold more tickets than those featuring SNP figures Nicola Sturgeon and Stephen Flynn. Badenoch shared her satisfaction during a conversation with broadcaster Iain Dale at his festival show, noting her competitive spirit.
"I’m thrilled I beat Nicola Sturgeon – politicians are always competitive so you’re comfortable keeping scores," Badenoch stated, according to reports. Her talk took place before an afternoon session with Flynn. Dale indicated that while Flynn's event also sold well, Badenoch's preceding show had higher ticket sales.
During her appearance, Badenoch also commented on Scotland's relationship with the SNP, describing it as "very dysfunctional." She suggested that Scotland feels ignored by Westminster, leading it to align with the SNP, which she characterized as a "very bad marriage."
Badenoch also addressed Prime Minister Andy Burnham's proposal for a "Number 10 North" outpost. She dismissed the plan, implying that Scotland represents the "real north" and that such initiatives are out of touch. Badenoch reiterated her stance against forming a post-election deal with Reform UK, stating she would prefer a new general election in the event of a hung parliament. She criticized politicians who left the Conservative Party, including those who joined Reform UK, labeling them as "drama queens" who are not serious about governing. She remarked, "These are people who left us when were at our lowest, many of them the people who caused the problems in the first place and then ran away and pretended they had nothing to do with it."